


something borrowed

by adabarbacarisi



Series: exchange fics [2]
Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Lawyer Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr., M/M, Married Barisi, Sharing Clothes, this fic is me advocating for good therapy in svu and bodily autonomy for children everywhere
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:28:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25529704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adabarbacarisi/pseuds/adabarbacarisi
Summary: Sonny is nearing the end of a tough trial when Rafael stops by to see his husband in action.
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.
Series: exchange fics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1850608
Comments: 12
Kudos: 45
Collections: Barisi Summer Exchange 2020





	something borrowed

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sarahcakes613](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarahcakes613/gifts).



> Gift Exchange Prompt:  
> Rafael stopping by the courthouse to see Sonny in action and how he reacts to seeing Sonny wearing one of his ties.
> 
> Warning: the trial content in this fic involves canon typical harm of a child.

Sonny has been working as an ADA for over a year before his husband sees him in action in court, the morning a jury is ready to announce their verdict. The trial has been a particularly tough one involving a young victim, a ten year old boy who had been abducted and assaulted, a child that will be affected by that trauma for the rest of his life. Rafael remembers the week it had happened in the spring, how the stress had made Sonny sleep deprived, the worry on Olivia’s face before they found the child and got him back into his mother’s arms. The abduction had been all over the news and the trial has been exactly the same. 

Rafael knows that if the verdict doesn’t go as hoped that Sonny will take the loss harder than others, he knows from his own experience how heart wrenching certain cases can be. He wants to be here to support Sonny, even if all he can do is sit next to Olivia and watch as it unfolds. It feels a little strange for Rafael to be on the other side like this. He remembers what it was like only a few years ago when he was the ADA and Sonny was his right hand man in training, how eager Sonny was to learn from him. Now Sonny is standing tall and capable all on his own and Rafael is so proud of the lawyer and the man he has become.

The jury files into the courtroom and the defendant and his lawyer stand up to hear the verdict. Rafael can see the familiar shift of Sonny’s shoulders as he takes a deep centering breath - one of the first things his therapist taught him last year. The young boy next to Sonny is being so brave, standing up and holding his mother's hand tight. Rafael can tell from the look on the woman’s face that her mother’s love is stronger and more protective than the justice system could ever hope to be.

The foreperson clears their throat, and reads the deciding verdict loud and clear. “We the jury find the defendant,” there is a charged energy in the room, even the sound of pen on paper from the courtroom reporters in the back has paused. “Guilty on all charges.”

The courtroom erupts into sound, the defendant’s face is pure fury but Sonny doesn’t even notice, his focus is on his job and the survivor next to him. He accepts the grateful handshake from the child’s mother and smiles at the boy - Sonny knows he doesn’t want to be touched, not even a pat on the shoulder. “You did good, kid. I told you they would believe you. That man is going to go away for a very long time.”

When Sonny turns to nod at Olivia, his face goes soft with a smile when he sees Rafael there beside her. Olivia says her goodbyes to Rafael outside the courtroom as she goes to follow Sonny who plans to give a statement to the press waiting outside.

“Let him know I’ll be over at his office?”

Olivia playfully smirks, “Going to play on your new role reversal?”

“Not until he gets a private office,” Rafael laughs.

Rafael pulls on his coat as he exits the courthouse to warm him against the autumn chill in the air and walks the familiar route over to the district attorney's office. He buys two black coffees from the cart on the way before heading up to where Sonny’s office is. Blessedly the shared office is empty of any other ADA’s, so Rafael perches himself on Sonny’s desk and uses the time to check his emails and messages. Rita wants to know if they are still on for dinner later ( _yes, you owe me a whiskey_ ) and if Olivia has asked about her lately ( _yes, grow up and ask her out already_ ).

Sonny arrives ten minutes later, cheeks flushed pretty and immediately grateful for the coffee. “Hi honey,” he says after taking a drink. “I didn’t know you were going to be there.”

“I had a meeting rescheduled until eleven so I have the time. How’s the kid doing?”

Sonny puts down his coffee and briefcase and sits down on his chair with a sigh. “He seems tough on the surface but I think he’s putting on a brave face because he doesn’t want to be vulnerable.” Sonny’s brows are furrowed in concern, “Liv has put him and his mother in touch with a good therapist, so I hope he’ll be okay.”

Rafael takes Sonny’s left hand in his, rests them on his thigh. “You did your job well, Sonny. It’s not on you anymore, try not to let everything rest on your shoulders.”

Sonny takes a breath again and looks at his husband, and there is the love in his eyes that makes Rafael all warm inside every time. “Thank you.”

Rafael closes the distance between them and presses a kiss to Sonny’s lips, hand lifting from his thigh to Sonny’s shoulder. When he pulls back, his hand drifts down Sonny’s chest. Now that he is paying more attention to his husband’s outfit, Rafael notices the tie he is wearing. Before, it looked like a simple dark red tie but now up close Rafael can see the faint familiar pattern.

“This is one of mine, isn’t it?”

Sonny nods, tilts his head for another soft kiss. “Sometimes I like a piece of you with me.”

Rafael kisses him again for that, a loving brush of his lips, and quietly says, “I know.”

And he does know, he feels the same. Rafael often travels for work now and he has found himself packing comfortable t-shirts and sweatshirts of Sonny’s in his suitcase. Lonely hotel rooms in different cities across the country feel more like home when he wears something of Sonny’s to sleep in. They can’t share tailored suits or shirts, but some things they can - it only took a few loads of laundry for their socks to get all mixed together in their drawer. And ties, all of Rafael’s beautiful ties are Sonny’s now too, whenever he wants to wear one. 

**Author's Note:**

> To be honest, this is the not the first fic I wrote for this exchange. I had originally picked a different prompt and had been working on that but then decided at the last minute I didn't like it enough. So this happened! Hope you like it, I know we would all love to see Barba being proud of ADA Carisi in the show.


End file.
